Saudi Professional League 23/24

se9addick said:

Jints said:

Chris_from_Sidcup said:

KingKinsella said:

jacob_CAFC said:

KingKinsella said:

Raith_C_Chattonell said:

Paraphrased from today's Mirror.

Clubs in Saudi Arabia spent £701 million pounds on big name players last summer.

According to Michael Emenalo (Saudi Pro League director of football) the focus will now switch to players in their prime.  However, it's not all plain sailing as the average attendance to a pro league game is just 8470 with some games attracting less than a 1000.

One can only hope that their money doesn't ruin the game we all love.

"One can only hope that money doesn't ruin the game we all love"

The game has always been about money from about the time that players stopped going to games on the bus, and the salary cap went. My guess s that's about 60 years ago. The Saudi development is just another stage. They have the spending power to shrink and sink the Premiership, my guess is that they will. It just a case of whether they want to see it though. 

They are not going to sink the Premier League regardless of how many big names go over there. Football in this country is not just about the money, as much as it seems like that. Football clubs are part of the culture here, how many real Man United or Chelsea or City or any other big club fans would stop going if they lost their biggest players to Saudi? Not many I would wager. That's real fans, not fake ones from around the world. 

UK is a small market. When all the top players are mopped up by Saudi's the rest of the world will be watching them not the Premier League. It will take a decade, but they can do it if they want to. You and I will be watching CAFC, and Chelsea fans will be watching Chelsea.

Will never happen. Yes they will no doubt continue to sign big names in the twilight of their career and maybe the odd couple of younger players but it will never fully take off.

There is too much prestige tied to the big European clubs and the champions league. No serious player is going there in his prime. The atmosphere at most games is awful, no one really wants to live there, and after just a short time we're already seeing some players want to leave. Henderson is the first, but there will be more.

There's also the issue for now (although i'm sure it will change) in that Saudi clubs are only allowed 8 overseas players. The big 4 that are owned by PIF have already filled their quotas with players on multiple year contracts. So what happens next summer when they want to sign more big names? They're all on huge money, so will they just pay off existing players to go?

Yes, it's the lack of history, club rivalries and atmosphere. They'll never be able to replicate the derbies etc that makes the EPL so popular around the world. 

I think there’s a piece around timing too.

The Premier League was by no means the most popular league in the world at the start of this century, that was probably Spain. But the astronomical deals with Sky, combined with a pretty fair way of distributing the wealth (amongst the 20 teams in the league), came at exactly the right time as new media created the opportunity to sell the game to the world in a way that wasn’t previously possible.

That this happened at the right time means there are now huge audiences for the Premier League all over the world that consider themselves real fans of PL teams even if they’ve never set foot in, and never will set foot in, England. That probably seems strange to us as Charlton fans because, really, we missed the boat on all of this by falling out of the PL before things really took off. 

I don’t think, however much Saudi Arabia spend on players they can ever really replicate how ingrained the PL has became to hundreds of millions (maybe billions) of people all over the world. People might watch if they have nothing else to do, but they won’t care. That means viewers won’t build the brand loyalty to Saudi league and, by extension, Saudi Arabia itself. Therefore the purpose of sports washing for the Saudi regime is essentially defeated. 

It’s similar to the Italian and Spanish leagues doing things like playing their “Super Cup” in Saudi (which included some pretty awful scenes when a moments silence for Franz Beckenbauer was booed…). They’re all desperately trying to replicate or catch up to the Premier League, but they never will. 

Didn’t expect that post to turn into a multi paragraph dissertation, apologies all!

ForeverAddickted said:

Dont know how true this is, but Saudi Journalists have apparently asked why Fiorentina and Lazio had been sent to Saudi Arabia (Along with Napoli and Inter) for the Supercoppa Italiana, instead of Juventus and AC MIlan (Who didnt qualify), thinking it was an insult.

Sensational Super Cup: "The Arabs wonder why there are no Milan and Juve" (tuttonapoli.net)

Can't wait for them to get offended if France somehow dont qualify for the 2034 World Cup

Chris_from_Sidcup said:

ForeverAddickted said:

Dont know how true this is, but Saudi Journalists have apparently asked why Fiorentina and Lazio had been sent to Saudi Arabia (Along with Napoli and Inter) for the Supercoppa Italiana, instead of Juventus and AC MIlan (Who didnt qualify), thinking it was an insult.

Sensational Super Cup: "The Arabs wonder why there are no Milan and Juve" (tuttonapoli.net)

Can't wait for them to get offended if France somehow dont qualify for the 2034 World Cup

Got to love what the Lazio manager Sarri said:

"Everyone knows what I think, that this tournament is about anything but sport. Take the money and run away. We get everything we can this way for a few days, while we have to go around the world looking for money. With all the problems with the tight schedule, we then also created a four-team Super Cup. If modern football is this kind of evolution, then I'm happy to be old-fashioned."

For context the Italian super cup was always like our Community Shield and played as a curtain raiser for the season. Then it moved abroad mid-season. Now they've made it a 4 team tournament.

sam3110 said:

KingKinsella said:

johnnybev1987 said:

KingKinsella said:

jacob_CAFC said:

KingKinsella said:

Raith_C_Chattonell said:

Paraphrased from today's Mirror.

Clubs in Saudi Arabia spent £701 million pounds on big name players last summer.

According to Michael Emenalo (Saudi Pro League director of football) the focus will now switch to players in their prime.  However, it's not all plain sailing as the average attendance to a pro league game is just 8470 with some games attracting less than a 1000.

One can only hope that their money doesn't ruin the game we all love.

"One can only hope that money doesn't ruin the game we all love"

The game has always been about money from about the time that players stopped going to games on the bus, and the salary cap went. My guess s that's about 60 years ago. The Saudi development is just another stage. They have the spending power to shrink and sink the Premiership, my guess is that they will. It just a case of whether they want to see it though. 

They are not going to sink the Premier League regardless of how many big names go over there. Football in this country is not just about the money, as much as it seems like that. Football clubs are part of the culture here, how many real Man United or Chelsea or City or any other big club fans would stop going if they lost their biggest players to Saudi? Not many I would wager. That's real fans, not fake ones from around the world. 

UK is a small market. When all the top players are mopped up by Saudi's the rest of the world will be watching them not the Premier League. It will take a decade, but they can do it if they want to. You and I will be watching CAFC, and Chelsea fans will be watching Chelsea.

UK is a small market, hilarious  

Most Populous Countries
The five most populous countries in 2022 are China (1.145 BILLION), India (1.4BILLION), followed by the European Union (which is not a country) 447 Million, the United States 333 Million, the island nation of Indonesia 275 million, and 229 million Pakistan. Nigeria 216 million Brazil 214 million.

China, India, have growing middle classes, USA established middle class ie money to spend

UK 21st in the list 67 million.

And by the way just look what has happened to golf in 18-24 months. Saudi are building up to their World Cup which is in a decade's time.

Population has absolutely sod all to do with it. 

There are nearly double the amount of people in Ethiopia for instance, they aren't going to do anything in "the market"

There is more money in English football than any other league, by a massive margin.

Golf doesn't have teams with 150 years history followed by generations of families, completely different.

No matter how much money the Saudis throw at it, they can't replicate the Premier League, and it catch up or surpass it either

sam3110 said:

KingKinsella said:

johnnybev1987 said:

KingKinsella said:

jacob_CAFC said:

KingKinsella said:

Raith_C_Chattonell said:

Paraphrased from today's Mirror.

Clubs in Saudi Arabia spent £701 million pounds on big name players last summer.

According to Michael Emenalo (Saudi Pro League director of football) the focus will now switch to players in their prime.  However, it's not all plain sailing as the average attendance to a pro league game is just 8470 with some games attracting less than a 1000.

One can only hope that their money doesn't ruin the game we all love.

"One can only hope that money doesn't ruin the game we all love"

The game has always been about money from about the time that players stopped going to games on the bus, and the salary cap went. My guess s that's about 60 years ago. The Saudi development is just another stage. They have the spending power to shrink and sink the Premiership, my guess is that they will. It just a case of whether they want to see it though. 

They are not going to sink the Premier League regardless of how many big names go over there. Football in this country is not just about the money, as much as it seems like that. Football clubs are part of the culture here, how many real Man United or Chelsea or City or any other big club fans would stop going if they lost their biggest players to Saudi? Not many I would wager. That's real fans, not fake ones from around the world. 

UK is a small market. When all the top players are mopped up by Saudi's the rest of the world will be watching them not the Premier League. It will take a decade, but they can do it if they want to. You and I will be watching CAFC, and Chelsea fans will be watching Chelsea.

UK is a small market, hilarious  

Most Populous Countries
The five most populous countries in 2022 are China (1.145 BILLION), India (1.4BILLION), followed by the European Union (which is not a country) 447 Million, the United States 333 Million, the island nation of Indonesia 275 million, and 229 million Pakistan. Nigeria 216 million Brazil 214 million.

China, India, have growing middle classes, USA established middle class ie money to spend

UK 21st in the list 67 million.

And by the way just look what has happened to golf in 18-24 months. Saudi are building up to their World Cup which is in a decade's time.

Population has absolutely sod all to do with it. 

There are nearly double the amount of people in Ethiopia for instance, they aren't going to do anything in "the market"

There is more money in English football than any other league, by a massive margin.

Golf doesn't have teams with 150 years history followed by generations of families, completely different.

No matter how much money the Saudis throw at it, they can't replicate the Premier League, and it catch up or surpass it either

sam3110 said:

KingKinsella said:

johnnybev1987 said:

KingKinsella said:

jacob_CAFC said:

KingKinsella said:

Raith_C_Chattonell said:

Paraphrased from today's Mirror.

Clubs in Saudi Arabia spent £701 million pounds on big name players last summer.

According to Michael Emenalo (Saudi Pro League director of football) the focus will now switch to players in their prime.  However, it's not all plain sailing as the average attendance to a pro league game is just 8470 with some games attracting less than a 1000.

One can only hope that their money doesn't ruin the game we all love.

"One can only hope that money doesn't ruin the game we all love"

The game has always been about money from about the time that players stopped going to games on the bus, and the salary cap went. My guess s that's about 60 years ago. The Saudi development is just another stage. They have the spending power to shrink and sink the Premiership, my guess is that they will. It just a case of whether they want to see it though. 

They are not going to sink the Premier League regardless of how many big names go over there. Football in this country is not just about the money, as much as it seems like that. Football clubs are part of the culture here, how many real Man United or Chelsea or City or any other big club fans would stop going if they lost their biggest players to Saudi? Not many I would wager. That's real fans, not fake ones from around the world. 

UK is a small market. When all the top players are mopped up by Saudi's the rest of the world will be watching them not the Premier League. It will take a decade, but they can do it if they want to. You and I will be watching CAFC, and Chelsea fans will be watching Chelsea.

UK is a small market, hilarious  

Most Populous Countries
The five most populous countries in 2022 are China (1.145 BILLION), India (1.4BILLION), followed by the European Union (which is not a country) 447 Million, the United States 333 Million, the island nation of Indonesia 275 million, and 229 million Pakistan. Nigeria 216 million Brazil 214 million.

China, India, have growing middle classes, USA established middle class ie money to spend

UK 21st in the list 67 million.

And by the way just look what has happened to golf in 18-24 months. Saudi are building up to their World Cup which is in a decade's time.

Population has absolutely sod all to do with it. 

There are nearly double the amount of people in Ethiopia for instance, they aren't going to do anything in "the market"

There is more money in English football than any other league, by a massive margin.

Golf doesn't have teams with 150 years history followed by generations of families, completely different.

No matter how much money the Saudis throw at it, they can't replicate the Premier League, and it catch up or surpass it either